Monday, 27 April 2015

Revisiting Another Master of Horror: Mary Shelley

Boris Karloff as the Monster

Amazingly, Mary Shelley began writing
Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus when
she was nineteen years
old, and it was published anonymously when she was twenty-one.
The novel was influenced by the
themes of the day, including experiments in galvanization: the use of
electricity to re-animate the dead. John Milton's poem “Paradise
Lost”, quoted by Shelley in the epigraph, also provides
an important context in terms of the religious overtones of the
novel and man's struggle to come to terms with his Creator. The
sub-title “The Modern Prometheus” is also
significant in terms of the Greek myth of Prometheus, whose attempt
to enlighten mankind through the introduction of fire, often associated
with scientific enlightenment, results in his punishment by the gods and
his perpetual agony.
In fact, the depth of background knowledge and reading that the original
novel
implies is quite astounding for someone so young.

We
commonly associate Frankenstein's creation—who has no name in the
novel—with repugnancy and horror. In the original novel, however,
there are many other themes at play, including over-reaching
ambition, moral ambiguity, guilt, responsibility, and abandonment.
One is struck by the sorrow and regret in its tone as the narration
unfolds. Victor Frankenstein is ambitious beyond reason, striving to
be God-like in recreating life. It is the central irony of the novel
that his monster destroys everyone Frankenstein loves, leaving him as
empty, lifeless, and abandoned as his creation.

The
Legacy of Frankenstein

Stephen King in his examination of horror fiction entitled Danse Macabre talks of the pervasive influence of the
novel on the horror genre. There
have been countless derivatives in various forms. An early stage version was produced
as early as 1826, and theatric productions continue to this day. There have
been innumerable film versions, perhaps the most memorable of
monsters being portrayed by Boris Karloff, whose performance captured
the creature's sorrow and alienation. The modern horror novelist Dean Koontz has written a series of novels based on the Frankenstein theme.

There have also been numerous comic tributes from Mel Brooks' classic,Young Frankenstein, to
Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.